The Cousin Test
by Tarafina
Summary: It was about time Chloe got a hot man of her own, but that doesn’t mean Lois shouldn’t interrogate him first… :Chloe/Duke:


**Title**: The Cousin Test  
**Category**: Smallville/GI: Joe  
**Genre**: Romance  
**Pairing**: Duke/Chloe, mentions of Lois/Clark  
**Rating**: PG  
**Word Count**: 1,135  
**Summary**: It was about time Chloe got a hot man of her own, but that doesn't mean Lois shouldn't interrogate him first…

**_The Cousin Test_**

When Lois let herself into her cousin's apartment it wasn't to what she'd expected.

An incredibly handsome and muscular guy standing in Chloe's living room wearing nothing but a towel met her startled eyes. The buzz cut spoke to her as ARMY but maybe it was coming back in style… She had a thing for dark wavy hair, herself. The scar that traced his upper cheek again kindled her suspicion that this guy served his country, and not in the way the Justice League did. Well worn muscles rippled beneath damp skin, his stomach flexing as he stood suspicious and on alert.

Adopting a look of derision, she stared him down from across the room, hands finding her hips with purposeful arrogance.

His expression lightened some. "You must be Lois."

She held her surprise in check. "Must be."

He glanced behind him a second, eyes falling on the bedroom door before landing back on her. "Chloe's sleeping."

"Good. Then she won't interrupt while I interrogate you." Marching across the room, she pointed at the armchair impatiently. "Take a seat, Slick, this might take awhile."

He lifted a brow, slightly amused with her audacity. Lifting an arm, he motioned his thumb back to the room. "I'll get dressed and—"

"I'm not modest and if you plan on sticking around, you'll get rid of that quirk real quick." She pointed at the chair once more, her chin lifting. "I won't ask again."

"I don't think you _asked _the first time," he muttered before walking toward the chair, rigid body drawing the eye once more. While she herself was very much already interested in someone else, she could freely applaud her cousin's good taste.

Leaning forward in her seat, she rested her elbows on her knees while staring at him as if waiting for his secrets to suddenly pour out. It had worked on bigger, broodier men.

"Name?"

"Duke," he said, lips twitching.

Her mouth pursed. "Real name?"

His eyes narrowed. "Conrad Hauser."

She nodded slowly. "Rank?"

He frowned.

"Play confusion all you want, but I know an ARMY boy when I see one."

"First sergeant," he bit out.

Interesting.

"You still enlisted?"

He shrugged, not a subject we was willing to talk about. Not surprising, but still…

"Relationship status?"

His brows rose. "Are you serious?"

She smiled sarcastically. "Don't take this the wrong way but the last thing my cousin needs in her life is a guy who thinks between his legs."

His jaw twitched, eyes turning toward the bedroom door once more. "It's not like that."

"No?" She wasn't swayed. "Then what's it like?"

Crossing his thick arms over his chest, he glared right back at her. "You really think you should be grilling me about things I haven't even talked to her about yet?"

Lois snorted. "She's used to my prying, she'll get over it." She motioned for him to go on.

With a sigh, he shook his head. "What do you want me to say?"

"The truth." She straightened her shoulders. "She's had enough heartbreak. I don't know you well. The fact that she hasn't mentioned you isn't surprising; she keeps tightlipped about the good ones. So I wanna hear it from you, straight out…"

He stared at her, green eyes gauging as if he was making sure _she _was worthy of what he was about to say. So like a soldier to think he knew and could take so much more than the average. Licking his lips, priming himself, he finally said, "I love her."

So simple, a few words that actually made Lois' mouth want to twist in a grin. _Finally_. "How long?" she said instead.

He chuckled under his breath, ran a hand over his short hair. "Since I met her," he said, brow furrowing as if even _he _was surprised.

"She's not like others," she said, feeling as though she had to share at least _some _of her cousin's oddities. If this was going to work out, and maybe she wanted it to just a little, then he couldn't walk into this blindly. "And I just don't mean she's unique, one-of-a-kind, too good for you different either. Even if she is. But, she's also… She's…" How to put it in a way that didn't scream meteor-enhanced and works with superheroes?

"Lois?" he asked, drawing her out of her thoughts. "I _know_." He stared at her, eyes wide, speaking without words.

Her expression blanked. "She told you?"

He shrugged. "She told me some of it. There's a lot more and… I'm not pushing for the whole story. She's gotta learn to trust me and with her, that takes a lot of time and work. I can do that."

All right, now she was starting to think he was a little too good to be true. No way Chloe got her knight-in-shining-armor sans the usual angst. Eyes narrowed, she waited for something to jump out at her. What did he have going on in his life that could make whatever Chloe did seem small in comparison?

"We done here?" he asked, hands already braced on the arms of the chair to haul himself up. Was it really her fault if her eyes fell riveted to his abdomen?

"Hm? Uh, yeah… For now," she allowed.

He nodded, glancing at her and coming to a stop before Chloe's door. "Are you staying or…?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "No, I just stopped in to see her. Got back from—"

"Japan," he interrupted, nodding. "I know… She talks about you a lot."

Lois couldn't hide a small smile. "I'm sure I'll hear a lot more about you in the near future."

He quirked a brow. "Thought she kept quiet about the good ones."

She smirked. "Only until I find out about them. Then she spills every little detail."

He didn't look the least bit put out by that, instead he tipped his head goodbye and stepped into the room.

"Hey," Chloe's sleepy voice could be heard as the door closed behind him.

"Hey."

"Were you just talking to someone in my living room?" she wondered.

His light chuckle answered her. "Your cousin dropped by."

"Oh, no…" she moaned.

"It's all right. She's… Unique."

Chloe snorted. "You're being nice."

"I like her," Duke assured. "She's just looking out for you."

"That's one way of putting it."

"I think I passed the test if it's any consolation."

"Is that right?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well… she always did have good taste in men."

The rest was muffled by the beginnings of an all too private affair between the two. Lois stood up from the couch, walked to the door and smiled to herself. She had a background check to run, but… She had a feeling this "Duke" might just be what her cousin needed in her life.


End file.
